


I Think You Ought To Walk With Me And Be Safe

by AsagiStilinski



Series: Y-G-October 2018 [26]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Little Red Riding Hood Fusion, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Curses, Fairy Tale Curses, Fantasy, Feral Behavior, Full Shift Werewolves, M/M, Muffins, Red Riding Hood Elements, Walks In The Woods, Werewolves, Witch Curses, Witches, werewolf Atem, witch Yugi Muto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-08-08 03:59:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16422005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsagiStilinski/pseuds/AsagiStilinski
Summary: He had dark tan skin, messy, spiky, black-blonde-red hair, crimson eyes.... and wolf featuresWolf ears, sharp fangs, long claws on his hands and feet, and even a fluffy black tailAnd he was in the middle of diving for Yugi's muffinDay 26 of  Y-G-October 2018





	I Think You Ought To Walk With Me And Be Safe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Finaiarel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finaiarel/gifts).



> Day 26 of this challenge http://horrificmemes.tumblr.com/post/177941943723/its-that-tiiiime-just-like-last-fall-im-giving "Cursed"
> 
> I really, really love Little Red Riding Hood and will gladly do a LRRH fusion any time that I can, the title is from the song "Little Red Riding Hood"

One last check before he left...

Sweets-- Check

Tea-- Check

Medicine-- Check

Soup-- Check

Bread-- Check

That should be everything, he was planning to stay the night at his grandfather's house so he wouldn't need a lantern or anything thicker than his big red cloak for the journey

He made sure that the cloak was secure, the hood pulled over his head as he slid his basket over his arm and made his way out of his small house and started off for the woods

He really hated how far away he lived from his grandfather, especially with the fact that his grandfather was getting older, and his health was starting to decline as of late...

His grandfather was determined to live in the cabin in the woods he'd lived in for half of his life though, and Yugi could do and say nothing to change his mind

Ofcourse, perhaps he could just move out to the cabin again sometime soon, that was always an option

He wasn't that fond of the village he had ended up in, and actually, had more of a familiarity with the opposite village just outside of the woods, nearer to his grandfather's house, it wouldn't be that big of a deal to move, would it?

After all, the only reason Yugi had come out here to begin with had been to get some experience apprenticing under another witch, a local one, for some of the areas of magic that his grandfather was less familiar with

The apprenticeship had ended over three months ago, however, and Yugi had no real reason to be here anymore

Besides that, winter was on the horizon

With it being late October, the cold season was just around the corner, and the last thing Yugi wanted was for his grandfather to be all alone in the woods, especially with his health being considerably low lately, and even more especially with how cold this winter in particular was expected to be

The fall had already been cooler than usual, and they were already starting to suspect twice the amount of snow too....

Yes, perhaps moving back was the answer...

However, it wasn't anything to think about right now

Yugi had already committed himself to helping with the Samhain feast and any leaving of the village could- and should- be dealt with only after Samhain

Besides, for now he just needed to focus on making the journey to his grandfather's house to begin with

There were warnings out lately about some sort of predator in the woods, and that travelers should be wary, Yugi had heard it be described as all manner of creature from a bear to a coyote to a particularly large fox, even a wolf

He wasn't sure how much he bought into those stories, however

He had lived in this village long enough to note how easily panic spread, it only took one overgrown cat and suddenly the village was infested with tigers

He was just relieved that witches were respected in his country, he had heard horror stories about some sort of hyper-religious group _burning_ people who they merely suspected of being witches in other countries, and Yugi....

Yugi was just relieved he didn't have to deal with that

 

~+~

 

After about an hour of walking, Yugi finally decided to take a small break and sit down

His grandfather's house was around another hour away, give or take a bit, and now was the perfect time to take a breather and have a small snack

So he set his basket down on the ground next to him and pulled out a small bottle of water, as well as a pouch of tea leaves and a teacup

Mixing the water and leaves, he held his hand beneath the cup and muttered a quiet spell under his breath, watching in satisfaction as the water slowly turned to tea- _hot_ tea

Smirking happily, he put away the remaining leaves and water and snapped his fingers, the rock next to him smoothing out and flattening into something like a very, very low-to-the-ground table, as he set his teacup down

Fishing into the basket again, he happily pulled out a blueberry muffin, unwrapping it from the napkin he had kept it in and taking a bite

It was a simple snack, but it was very enjoyable, wich was honestly the way Yugi liked to live- simply, but happily

A few bites into his muffin, he decided to pause and take a sip of tea, but just as he was reaching for the cup, he caught the sound of bushes rustling behind him

No matter though, he was in a forest after all, there was no doubt all sorts of creatures wandering around nearby, and the smell of food had almost certainly attracted several of them

He took a sip of tea, head tilting curiously as he heard the sound once again

And then a third time, just after

Alright... that was admittedly a bit stranger....

Eyebrows pinched, he slowly set his muffin down on the stone "table" as well as his teacup and rose from where he was sitting, dusting himself off, he stepped towards the bushes, glancing inside and tilting his head

He didn't see anything...

So he took another step or two, glancing around, expecting to see a rabbit or a squirrel or-

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and he quickly spun on his heel, his focus now on his basket and the food he had left out

" _Manere!_ "

Surely enough, frozen in his tracks, was .. a person

Or atleast, something that _resembled_ a person

He had dark tan skin, messy, spiky, black-blonde-red hair, crimson eyes.... and wolf features

Wolf ears, sharp fangs, long claws on his hands and feet, and even a fluffy black tail

And he was in the middle of diving for Yugi's muffin

Frowning further, Yugi made his way out of the bushes and approached the stranger, snapping his fingers as the spell undid it's self and the creature stumbled, his eyes wide as he stared up at Yugi's face before suddenly darting towards the bushes again

"Wait!! Wait! You can have a muffin!!!"

That brought the creature pause, and with obvious hesitation, he slowly turned back around, clear skepticism in his expression as he stared at the young witch

"That's right... come on, you can have a muffin if you want one, I have plenty,"

Slowly, practically at a snail's pace, the creature made his way back towards Yugi, guarded and clearly ready to either attack or run off at even the slightest hint of danger

Yugi wondered what had happened to the poor thing to make him this way... but it really wasn't that hard to guess

After all, just because witches were still accepted in the surrounding area, that didn't necessarily mean that other magic folk were

The creature reached out for the half-eaten muffin, but Yugi slowly raised a hand, shaking his head

"Wait, let me get you one for yourself, they're in the basket... see? The basket?"

The stranger looked down at the basket, still hesitating, but didn't move, waiting anxiously as Yugi made his way towards the wicker and reached inside, pulling out a fresh chocolate-chip muffin and holding it out politely towards the creature

He still seemed hesitant, but finally- and quickly- reached out and snatched the pastry away from the witch, making a move towards the bushes as if he were about to run off again- and he probably was

"Wait!! Would you like some tea with that?"

The creature paused again, staring at Yugi, then the depths of the woods, then muffin, then back at Yugi

He was conflicted, and that was a good enough sign for the witch

"Let me make some for you, please?"

Another pause, but he took a step backwards Yugi, clutching the muffin to his chest and slowly walking forward again

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you," Yugi promised

_Not like others hurt you_ , he wanted to add

But he didn't, he couldn't

Not yet

He would make that promise soon, but not just yet

 

~+~

 

"You haven't told me your name,"

The creature slowly looked up from the third muffin he was devouring, his eyes and body clearly less tense than they had been, but still holding a fair level of resistance within them

"I'm Yugi, and you are...?"

The creature hesitated again, slowly licking the crumbs from his fingers

"..... Atem......"

Ah, so he could speak, good

"Well it's very nice to meet you Atem, may I ask... what it is you're doing out here?"

That seemed to make the stranger pause, a downcast look falling over his face as he picked slightly at the muffin, biting carefully against his lower lip

"I... I live here..."

"You live out here? That's neat, so does my grandfather, do you have a cabin or-"

"No," he said quickly, his ears flicking here and there as he shook his head

"I ... I just live... in the woods...."

"In the woods," Yugi repeated, slowly, quietly, his heart instantly feeling heavier at the confession

He was starting to understand exactly what Atem meant, and he didn't like the sound of it...

"If I may.... why do you live in the woods?"

Atem glanced up at him, a sour look on his face as his ears twitched again

"I cannot really live in a village like... _this_ ,"

"Yes, I noticed your pretty features," Yugi agreed, biting his lip breifly, he wanted to reach out and touch those fluffy looking ears, but...

He knew that probably wouldn't end well

"You're a werewolf, aren't you?"

A nod, and plenty of reason for Yugi to continue

"And I'm guessing that your features being on full display like this isn't just a fashion choice,"

"'It's... why I'm stuck out here in the woods," he explained quietly, hanging his head and biting his lip, pain clear on his face

"I was cursed about a year ago, and I've been living here ever since, I... tried living in villages, but I was always chased out and hunted before I could even consider staying,"

"Who cursed you?" Yugi asked softly, sympathy practically dripping from his expression as he reached out to very gently take Atem's hand and give it a soft squeeze

"A witch by the name of Akefia, it's ... a very long story, but he and I have not had a good relationship, we never have, we've always been adversaries, I've always managed to evade him, or to defeat him, until now... this time, he hit me with a curse that I merely did not see coming,"

Yugi nodded slowly, reaching out to very carefully place his hand on Atem's back, watching him jump at the touch, but soon relax beneath it

"I must apologize for trying to steal your food earlier, it's just ... it's been so long since I've had any sort of human food, much less something sweet, I suppose I merely... got carried away,"

"You have nothing to apologize for, believe me, I understand," Yugi promised, sliding his fingers down to gently cup the werewolf's face, a smile resting against the witch's lips

"You do not scare me, dear wolf, dear _Atem_ , what happened to you was horrible, and I want to help you, winter is just around the corner, it would be horrible for you to be out here all alone in the cold... you deserve what every other person deserves, a home, and people who care for you, and warmth and safety.... I know that not everyone can appreciate the beauty of werewolves, but I can, and you have my word, I will keep you safe, and I will find a way to cure you of this curse, so that you can live in peace once again,"

Atem looked as though Yugi had just given him the world, his eyes wide and bright, his mouth slightly open, showing off those pretty, sharp teeth, he found himself leaning a little bit closer, inhaling when Yugi exhaled, and Yugi, for his credit, leaned in closer as well, gently cupping Atem's face, stroking his thumb across his cheek as he closed his eyes and pressed his lips against the wolf's

The kiss was soft, chaste, but it lingered for a moment, a long... wonderfull moment

"Ah.. it didn't work," the witch said softly as he pulled back, taking note of the fact that Atem's features were still firmly in place

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes a kiss will break a curse but.... no matter, my grandfather should have something in mind, he's the greatest witch in the land," he mused, hopping up to his feet and holding his hand out for his new companion

Atem hesitated, but finally gave a shy smile and reached up to gently take Yugi's hand, giving it a squeeze as he climbed to his feet as well

"I should... probably fully shift, in case someone sees-"

"I'll protect you," Yugi said firmly, smiling lovingly at him

"I'll protect you, I promise,"

He decided to punctuate that by leaning up and giving Atem's cheek a kiss, much to the werewolf's surprise

"I thought you said that kissing didn't break the curse?"

"It didn't, that wasn't for the curse, that was just because I wanted to," he promised, taking his basket in his free hand before pausing, taking note of Atem's lack of clothing, nothing but a torn, old pair of pants....

He set his basket down again, then took his cloak off and gently wrapped it around Atem's shoulders, putting the hood up to protect his ears from the cold before tying a nice little bow in the ribbon beneath the hood

"There, I'm sure that's better,"

Atem, who's face was now roughly the same shade as the cloak, gave a soft nod, smiling shyly as Yugi hooked his arm through Atem's, then picked up his basket again

"Oh, but... won't you be cold?"

"Not at all," Yugi promised

"You're quite warm, you know, as long as I stick close to you, the cold shouldn't bother me at all,"

Atem smiled back at him, leaning down to rest his head on Yugi's shoulder as they walked, stealing a kiss here and there

"To Grandfather's?" he asked softly

Yugi nodded, squeezing his hand softly

"To Grandfather's,"


End file.
